The Begley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,435 people carried this name — #4,200 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 35,000 people counted. That is up 2% from 8,292 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Begley surname

Reduced Anglicized form of Irish Ó Beaglaoich (“descendant of Beaglaoch”), a personal name composed of the elements beag (“small”) + laoch (“warrior, hero”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Begley» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 39 births for the Begley name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,700 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 3 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Kerry and Donegal.”

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Munster 20
Ulster 12
Connacht 5
Leinster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Begley in American newspapers,
1882–1917.

Newspaper page from Daily Yellowstone Journal carrying the name Begley
Daily Yellowstone Journal 1882-12-29
Newspaper page from River Falls Journal carrying the name Begley
River Falls Journal 1890-10-16
Newspaper page from Evening Capital News carrying the name Begley
Evening Capital News 1917-01-06

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 10,678 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Begley in Australian newspapers,
1840s–1990s.

4,217 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Begley. The most, 981, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Victoria, at 2.1 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 1,713
New South Wales 1,120
Western Australia 740
Queensland 397
South Australia 124
Tasmania 86
ACT (Canberra) 23
Northern Territory 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Begley.

Who carried it

People named Begley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Ed Begley
    Ed Begley 1901–1970 · actor
  • Jim Begley
    Jim Begley 1902–1957 · baseball player
  • Leila Feltner Begley
    Leila Feltner Begley 1915–2010 · politician
  • Terrence Begley 1843–1864 · military personnel
  • Michael Begley 1872–1938 · rower
  • Owen M. Begley 1906–1981 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Begley,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,237 records

1,237 records of the Begley name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 301
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 288
  • Other U.S. records 648
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James J. Begley

    Born 1914 in New York. Enlisted 1941 at Camp Upton Yaphank; railroad clerk from New York County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1968, buried at Calverton National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Maria Begley

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Baltic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 18; servant. From Galway, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Jack Perry Begley

    Born 1950; from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1971 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 1,237 records for Begley in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Australia272 records

272 records of the Begley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 108
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 81
  • Other Australian records 83
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Begley

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Henry Porcher, arriving 1825; ticket of leave 1830. Native of Antrim.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Michael Begley

    Arrived in Victoria in 1858 aboard the Anglo Saxon, aged 8; Irish.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Henry G. Begley

    Timber worker of Colac, Victoria; died 1955.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 272 records for Begley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

United Kingdom24 records

24 records of the Begley name in the United Kingdom
  • Stirling Council burial records 17
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 7
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Begley

    Buried in 1953 at Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 65.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Begley

    Royal Munster Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Victor William Begley

    Died 1994, aged 62; buried at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 24 records for Begley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Canada17 records

17 records of the Begley name in Canada
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 5
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 4
  • Other Canadian records 8
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Begley

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Germany, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Caroline Begley

    Died 1982, aged 100; buried at St. Vital Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Wilson Patterson Begley

    Died in service in 1942.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 17 records for Begley in Canada.

Counts: Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Netherlands2 records

2 records of the Begley name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Joseph Begley

    In the population register of Hellevoetsluis; born 1848 in Montreal.

    Open Archives, Streekarchief Voorne-Putten (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Albert Victor Begley

    In the population register of 's-Gravenhage; born 1902 in Kings Lynn.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Begley name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Frank Begley

    Died 2001; buried at Killererin (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Begley name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Mary Begley

    Born 1912 in Great Britain; died 1994 in Roubaix (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Begley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Begley is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Begley volume
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